In His Presence

[Brad Fox]

Oswald J. Chambers (born July 24, 1874 in Aberdeen, Scotland; died November 15, 1917 in Egypt) was a prominent early twentieth century Scottish Protestant Christian minister and teacher, best known as the author of the widely-read devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Born to devout Baptist parents, Chambers did not plan to go into the ministry. He studied at Kensington Art School and attended the University of Edinburgh, where he studied fine art and archaeology. But while at Edinburgh, he felt called to ministry, and transferred to Dunoon College. An unusually gifted student, Chambers soon began teaching classes and started a local society dedicated to Robert Browning, his favorite poet. Chambers travelled the world, stopping in Egypt, Japan, and America. It was on one of his trips to America that he met Gertrude Hobbs. In 1910 he was married to Hobbs, whom he affectionately called "Biddy". On 24 May 1913, Biddy gave birth to their first and only child, Kathleen. In 1911 he founded and became principal of the Bible Training College in Clapham in London. In 1915, feeling called to the war effort (World War I), Chambers applied and was accepted as a YMCA chaplain. He announced that the Bible Training College would be suspending operations for the duration of the war. Chambers was assigned to Zeitoun in Egypt, where he ministered to Australian and New Zealand troops who were later part of the disastrous Battle of Gallipoli. Chambers died November 15, 1917 in Egypt as the result of a ruptured appendix. He suffered the extreme pain of appendicitis for three days before seeking medical attention, refusing to take a hospital bed needed by wounded soldiers.  (Oswald Chambers article, Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 16, 2010 from:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Chambers )

 

The conditions at Gallipoli, on both sides, were notorious. In the summer, the heat was atrocious, and in conjunction with bad sanitation, led to so many flies that eating became extremely difficult. Corpses, left in the open, became bloated and stank. The precarious Allied bases were poorly situated and caused supply and shelter problems. A dysentery epidemic spread through the Allied trenches in both Anzac and Helles. Autumn and winter brought relief from the heat, but also led to gales, flooding and frostbite.  There were nearly half a million casualties during the campaign, according to the Australian Department of Veterans' Affairs.  In addition to these casualties, many soldiers became sick due to the unsanitary conditions, especially from enteric fever, dysentery and diarrhea. It is estimated that 145,000 more British soldiers became ill during the campaign.  (Battle of Gallipoli, Wikipedia.  Retrieved November 16, 2010 from:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gallipoli#Conditions ).

 

So Oswald Chambers was ministering to men in Egypt, 80% of whom would never return from the battle field.  As a YMCA director, he wasn't so much concerned with the soldiers' recreational diversions, but more with preparing their spiritual lives for the demands of war.  Over the period of 1915 to 1917, he delivered a series of Bible "talks" to the troops in the city of Zeitoun.